Make your own Photo etch

[Dogberry]

I am frustrated by the lack of etched brass kits for the more unusual 1/16 scale German Tanks.

I have watched numerous tutorials on YouTube, but would appreciate first hand experience.

I appreciate the first problem is the master from which the negative is created, but has anybody ever etched their own.

[Barthez]

Hello,
I did make my own etched brass parts for a 1/96 scale warship a few years ago. To make ladders and the like.
The results were mixed and not all my parts were usable. I never persevered with it.
I used a product called press and peel. A blue plastic film It is designed for making printed circuit boards.
You print your image directly onto the press and peel using a laser printer. I used a simple CAD program to generate the image. It is then a simple process of using a clothes iron (turn the steam off) to transfer the image image to the brass.

Bart

[jarndice]

I am frustrated by the lack of etched brass kits for the more unusual 1/16 scale German Tanks.

I have watched numerous tutorials on YouTube, but would appreciate first hand experience.

I appreciate the first problem is the master from which the negative is created, but has anybody ever etched their own.

ABER And Voyager have a comprehesive range of PE in 1/16,
Dave at wwwforgebeartanks.com has a wide range of Aber products.

[Raminator]

I've etched circuit boards in the past using photoresist (it'd be much the same process) but it's a pain to work with the transparencies and UV exposure, and requires some pretty nasty chemicals.

If you're trying to make your own grilles, you can get photoetched sheets of generic meshes at various sizes; if you're trying to make your own little clasps and fittings, you'd probably be better off with something 3D printed.